Expert Office Advice

Has the invitation to the office Christmas party been warming your pocket for weeks yet you’re still in doubt as to what to expect from this event and how to prepare for it? Office Connection is here to help! We’ve compiled a few pointers - things to do before and things to avoid during the party.

The office Christmas party is an opportunity to unwind and enjoy yourself – have fun with colleagues and enjoy their company. And it is possible to do this without making a total fool of yourself (or telling off the boss!).

1. Find out the dress code for the event well in advance. For ladies, it’s best to find out what your colleagues are wearing, and the earlier you find out, the easier the task of dressing up is. If you are bringing your partner to your office party, make sure they understand the style and type of the venue and dress accordingly. Christmas parties should be about having fun, so avoid clothes that you know won’t make you feel comfortable. If you are not so sure about the micro skirt you planned on wearing, perhaps opt for a more elegant look.
2. Find out the location of the party well in advance. Print out the address and map or directions, and do not rely on your mobile phone internet connection. The map on your tiny screen won’t make sense and you will still have to phone someone already inside the venue.
3. Book a registered cab for trip home if you expect the party till the wee hours of the morning. The sight of intoxicated party goers asleep on the Underground missing their stop can seem funny but it’s not safe and certainly not pretty. Do not travel with unregistered minicabs.
4. Be extremely careful ordering those cocktails and shots. Too much alcohol will unfortunately loosen your tongue and all those well-hidden secrets (including gossip, rumours and love/hate confessions) will storm out leaving you not only confused, but embarrassed and exposed.
5. Be careful around colleagues who take lots of pictures and encourage you to do silly things like pull faces, pose in awkward positions and dance with your arms wrapped around your boss’s neck. The subsequent circulation of such images via internet sites such as Flickr and Facebook might leave you extremely embarrassed. If you are taking similar pictures of others, be considerate while downloading and distributing them after the occasion.
6. Leave all work issues and troubles behind. You’ve spent almost 50 weeks talking about work, perhaps even discussing it at home. Avoid talking about business prospects for the next year, do not ask for a salary increase and do not complain to your boss about other colleagues.
7. Be nice, cheerful and polite. Try to remember the names of your colleagues’ partners. Be generous with compliments. Master your small talk skills before the party and don’t be scared to use them. When it’s time to leave, be sure to say a proper goodbye.
8. If your office Christmas party happens to be in the middle of the week, do not overindulge. Being absent the next day will prove you can’t control yourself around drinks.
9. Keep all your clothes on during the party. They were put there for a reason.
10. If you saw things you shouldn’t have seen, be discrete – there will be enough gossip without you fuelling it further. If you’ve done things you shouldn’t have, please don’t brag.

Now go forth and party safe in the knowledge that you won’t regret it the day after.